Limpopo Business 2017-18 edition

OVERVIEW
A National Library of South
Africa (NLSA) project, supported
by Vodacom, will connect about
300 community libraries via VSAT
and Vodacom ADSL services. The
project covers South Africa’s three
most rural provinces – North West,
Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
When national libraries starting
using an open source system
known as Library Information
Management System (LIMS), it was
a good opportunity to upgrade
the more remote libraries. Meso
ICT Solutions was the company
used by Vodacom and the NLSA
to roll out the project, which will
also give community members
in those areas (including teachers
and students) better access to
the Internet. Each library has 14
work stations and Vodacom can
carry both fixed-line and satellite
connectivity.
The state is a big factor in the ICT
sector, both in terms of its regulatory
role, the incentives offered to
companies and in terms of its own
purchasing power through national
departments and agencies.
The State Information
Technology Agency (SITA) supports
a wide range of national and provincial
departments and municipalities
across the province, and is working
on establishing a comprehensive
provincial network. SITA played a
role in the NLSA/LIMS project.
Sita has a client base of more
than 5 000 offices, and offers services
in WAN support, support
of the provincial mainframe, ICT
training and website development,
among others. A SITA initiative to
help South Africa’s teachers obtain
laptops will have an impact on
the sector.
South African Vanguard of Technology (Savant) is a Department of
Trade and Industry (dti) programme. It is the marketing and awareness
programme for the South African ICT and electronics sector. The aim
is to develop South African exports and to attract foreign investment.
The National Department of Communications is responsible for
the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA,
the regulator of communications, broadcasting and postal services),
the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and three other agencies.
The Telkom Foundation began supporting ICT at Manyangan High
School and several others like it a decade ago. Schools in rural areas
were given a wireless networked e-Learning Resource Centre consisting
of 20 computers, a server, a printer, all Microsoft supplied software,
insurance and a three-year maintenance plan. Internet access was
included, powered by Vsat satellite technology.
Ten schools have been identified by the ICT Internet Connectivity
Project and the National Department of Education to pilot the Offline
Content Solution. Tirelo Bosha will pay R1.4-million towards this project.
Tirelo Bosha is a public service improvement grant administered by the
National Department of Public Service and Administration.
The Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme
(THRIP) is a programme of the National Research Foundation and supports
an average of 235 projects per year. THRIP supports initiatives
that use science to bring benefits to wider society. This can relate to
boosting distant rural computer literacy or for scientists working at the
University of Venda who have received THRIP funding for soil research.
Intermediate computer-literacy classes are given at some Limpopo
schools by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), and
the CoZa Cares project of Uniforum SA. The Maths Centre has received
funding from the Citigroup Foundation to help it expand
the Anglo American project for maths and science using specially
developed software.
ISPA and Uniforum SA run a Super Teacher of the Year award for the
educator who has best imparted their newly acquired IT knowledge
to pupils and members of their community when they return from
training courses.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment
and Tourism: www.ledet.gov.za
Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA): www.lieda.co.za
Seda Technology Programme: www.seda.org.za
South African Vanguard of Technology: www.savant.co.za
State Information Technology Agency: www.sita.co.za
Support Programme for Industrial Innovation: www.spii.co.za
Technology Innovation Agency: www.tia.org.za
71 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2017/18